The Sky Where Blossoms Flutter
by sugarcoatedhart
Summary: After a tragic incident claims the lives of her family, Misora Sakurai vows to hunt down those that were responsible. When her search leads her directly to the Shinsengumi's vice-commander, Misora must weigh her past against the present and her head against her heart. (OC X Hijikata)
1. Chapter 1

**So this is one of the new plotlines that I have developed and more are currently in progress.**

**After watching the anime, I had a nagging urge to rewrite Chizuru's character to make her well...less Mary-Sue. I understand that she is more of a placeholder than anything, so I took the liberty to replace her character with one that was slightly more dynamic. **

**Please enjoy, and pardon my bad Japanese.**

**Edit: I made some changes to this chapter as well as moved some parts from the next chapter to make the story flow smoother.**

* * *

The muted light from the two candles in the room cast a warm glow over my reflection in the mirror. I was barely recognizable underneath the almost ghostly powder and the rouge on my lips and cheeks. My dark hair was pinned up into a decorative bun on top of my head, embellished with hair sticks and heavy ornaments. I have long since lost count of how many times I stood in front of this mirror staring down my own reflection, wondering why I was here at all.

"Misora?"

There was a silhouette casted against the thin shoji door from a figure that knelt outside.

I didn't answer. She would always let herself in, anyways. And for some strange reason, I always had an uneasy feeling every time I saw a silhouette against the thin door.

Just as I had thought, the door slowly slid open and one curious lined eye peered in.

"You've been here for ages," said Ayame. "You should be greeting the guests by now."

"You greet them for me," I muttered.

I could start to feel the pout that was beginning to form on her small red lips in the short silence that followed.

"But Misora, Masaki-san is going to be angry with you," she protested. "She'll probably cut your pay again."

"Tell her to give the cut pay to you."

"But..."

I finally looked at her. It almost hurt to move my head. She was a pretty girl who wore a trademark red kimono with a fat white bow tied around her waist. Her hair was always up to the point I worried if it hurt. She was very popular here in this district, and I've heard the other geiko whisper amongst themselves about how she "stole" their guests. And even though she spent most of her time gushing about the men who visited, she was the only one who would bring me onigiri from the kitchen when I refused to leave my room. She knelt at my door with the same anxious expression she would display whenever she was upset.

I sighed and slowly got to my feet. The geiko getup was extremely difficult to move in, which bothered me to no end. The huge sleeves were always, _always_ in the way, and not to mention how heavy the terrifying shoes were. I glared at them as I slid them over my tabi, but seeing Ayame's relieved expression almost made it worth it. I followed her down the wooden stairs to the first floor like a clumsy horse.

Unlike Ayame, I didn't want this life and I was much less cut out for it. But I didn't have a place to go and there was nowhere else for an eighteen-year old woman with no family to be. My eyes narrowed instinctively when I was reminded of why I had no home to return to after each weary day.

It had happened only a short while ago. I had grown up with my father and mother in an ordinary household in Kyoto. I know for a fact that my father was a samurai, despite the fact that he never shared any details about his work. He was the one who taught me about the katana sword and how to fight with one. And on that fateful night, he left for a mission only to never return. Just hours later, my entire house was stormed down. I could still remember the voice of my mother, telling me to run, run far away. So I did. I had made myself a promise ever since – that I would hunt down the killers and claim revenge for the lives of my parents.

"Misora is here, Masaki-san." Ayame's sweet voice somehow managed to force me back into reality. We were standing at the back entrance behind one of the guest rooms, face-to-face with the one and only Masaki-san, who was glaring at me through beady eyes. Although she had a wicked temper, I owed her for letting me stay here and despite her harsh tongue, she did quickly promote me to full geiko status despite the short training period I had passed.

"Misora, you're late to your scheduled event!" she hissed. Her hands were firmly planted against her waist, and one foot was tapping against the floor in agitation. "Hurry up and get inside, otherwise you're not getting paid this week."

"I-I'm sorry, Masaki-san," Ayame quickly apologized in my place.

"It's fine, Ayame-chan," I said and bowed to Masaki-san in apology.

"I will send someone else to bring the sake and the food soon, although keep in mind that it was your job to do that as well. Consider this a favour."

"Sumimasen," I apologized quickly, and stepped out of my shoes before slowly sliding the doors open. Behind it was another set of doors that led to the where the guests would be seated, which was decorated with traditional painted flowers and patterns. There was another set of doors on the opposite side of the room, where the guests would enter from. I dipped my head once more before sliding the first set of doors closed, thankfully blocking Masaki-san's glare. Already I could hear obnoxious laughter characteristic to the men that visited Shimabara, which ceased when I slowly slid open the second set of doors.

"Greetings," I recited as I touched my forehead to the tatami mat, even making sure to pitch my voice slightly. "I will be accompanying you this evening."

I lifted my head and quickly scanned the faces of the crowd. They seemed to be ordinary men, perhaps samurai judging by the swords they carried with them. Luckily for me, it didn't take long for Masaki-san to send someone with the food and sake.

As per expected, the conversation was rowdy and quite loud. One man with shaggy black hair that fell halfway into his eyes smiled at me as I approached him with his food.

"Misora-chan," he said as I set down the tray.

I immediately swiveled to meet his gaze. "How do you know my name?" I demanded, abandoning any pretense of polite geiko behaviour.

The man dipped his head. "My name is Takahiro Suzuki. I was a comrade of Kazuo-san's."

There were no other words he could have said to shock me more.

"I have come to bring you this." He took the one of the two katanas that were resting by his side and presented it to me. I recognized it immediately, the simple black sheath, the plated hilt with the red and black patterning, the decorative end that I had spent hours admiring when it was not in use by my father.

I swallowed, trying to force a fresh wave of tears back down my throat. "T-thank you, Suzuki-san."

He smiled a sad smile at me. "I suppose you do not know about the men that killed your father?"

I shook my head automatically and wiped at my eyes.

Another man spoke up before Suzuki-san had a chance to. "They're called the Shinsengumi, but you probably know them as the Mibu Wolves."

The name did ring a bell somehow.

"They dress in blue haoris," another one added, "and they're completely heartless. They are trained to kill whoever stands in their way as long as it benefits them."

"Yes," Suzuki-san agreed. "But they really do nothing but slay the innocent and disrupt Kyoto's peace." Murmurs of agreement broke out.

I felt something stir inside me then. It was a wild thrumming that spread throughout my entire being.

"Where do I find these people?"

Chuckles broke out from around the room at my question.

"It might not be wise to go rushing in on them," Suzuki-san said patiently. "Despite their terrible reputation, the Mibu Wolves always work in packs."

"But it might be wise to know the name of their commander," another man said.

"And who would that be?" I said.

"Toshizo Hijikata," Suzuki-san replied instantly. His lips twisted around the name. "He is only the vice commander of the Shinsengumi, but he is essentially the person behind all of the Wolves' actions. And I'm willing to bet my samurai's honour that he was the one who ordered the death of your family."

I could feel my hands subconsciously clenching into fists. So I just needed to hunt down this Toshizo Hijikata to avenge my family. Now the only problem was finding a smart way to do it.

"I hear that they visit Shimabara on occasion as well," one man with a nearly bald head piped up.

"Don't be ridiculous," another retorted. "If that were true, then they might as well commit honourable suicide."

"They don't count as samurai warriors though, would they? Honourable suicide doesn't apply to them."

Their conversation had moved on, but I had not. My mind was a whirling mess of red. Perhaps being a geiko wasn't such a bad move after all. If it gave me a chance to kill this Toshizo Hijikata, then I would do anything.

"You might want to keep your father's katana hidden." Suzuki-san's voice said from beside me. He gave me a wink. "Wouldn't want the other geiko to know what you're capable of, would you?"

"Not at all," I agreed. "Please excuse me while I hide this."

Suzuki-san chuckled. "Of course."

* * *

After Suzuki-san and his friends had drunk themselves silly and decided it was time to leave, I returned back upstairs to my temporary quarters. I had scoured the small room for a good hiding spot and eventually settled for placing the katana temporarily in the small gap behind the mirror. I would have to switch to living in the okiya with everyone else soon enough anyways. But if someone else found the sword, I would be in big trouble. Masaki-san was already disappointed in me. But I couldn't always leave the sword in this room either, I realized with a frown.

I undid the obi that secured my colourful kimono and made sure no one was outside before pulling out the katana. If I could just conceal it within my clothing, it would solve most of my problems. I held the katana against my side and tried to retie the obi without letting it slip out. The hilt of the katana was able to hold the sword upright with help from the obi, and if I kept my arms at my sides and moved in a rather precarious way, the long sleeves would conceal it almost flawlessly.

I felt a small smile of triumph make its way to my lips. Perhaps being a geiko wasn't too bad if I had a chance at vengeance. Now I could only hope that my sword skills were still sharp enough to deliver a smooth killing blow.

I reached inside my kimono and felt a twinge of satisfaction that I was able to draw out the unsheathed blade rather smoothly. To my surprise, the katana was clean and polished, the silver gleam of the blade sharp and deadly. I shifted it into the basic position and swung it around a couple of times. The first few practice strikes were shaky, but eventually gained confidence and within a few moments I could swing with ease.

I brought the katana's blade to my shoulder as if preparing to deliver the final blow.

_You'd better watch your back, Toshizo Hijikata of the Shinsengumi_, I thought as I thrust the blade forward in one fluid movement. _From now on, I am your worst enemy. _


	2. Chapter 2

**Three updates within a week? This must be some sort of record O.O**

**Thank you to Captaintsukiko34, OniKuShita, and hineko for your reviews! **

**Please leave a review of your own to let me know what you thought of the story. (But please, no flaming.)**

**Thank you and enjoy~**

* * *

It was about three months after Suzuki-san's visit, and during this time my hopes were beginning to dwindle. For the past few weeks I had kept a constant watch over the guests that arrived, even going as far to ask Ayame about the guests that she had to serve. At night, I would practice drawing out the katana straight into a forward thrust when no one was around. But as the time began to pass, I started to feel more and more discouraged. Perhaps the bald man had been wrong and the Shinsengumi really would not come to this ochaya, where it was much too risky to be identified correctly.

But I was still a geiko, and I was still expected to work. And since Ayame had recently been asked to train a group of newcomer maiko, work had gotten much more tedious without seeing her around as often. I forced the negative thoughts out of my head as my vision focused on the inner set of doors to the guest room. If the Shinsengumi did not come here, all I had to do then was to save up enough money and go looking for them myself.

I took a breath, my hand subconsciously reaching for the katana hidden inside my kimono. Thank Kami-sama that I was able to switch to a slightly larger size otherwise I would have to find an alternate way to hide the sword. I quickly adjusted my obi before it became too obvious what I was trying to hide and slid open the doors.

"Greetings," I recited. "I will be accompanying you gentlemen tonight." I dipped my head before adding, "My name is Misora," like Masaki-san had told me to. I lifted my head and surveyed the guests in front of me.

To my surprise, they were all younger men, all quite good looking, each one distinguished. They didn't seem to have swords with them and there were six of them in total but the one that caught my attention was the man sitting at the end as if overlooking everyone else. He had long, jet black hair swept back into a ponytail. His handsome face was framed by a fringe at either side, and his purple kimono brought out his striking violet eyes perfectly. I forced my eyes away from him and hoped that the meals would arrive quickly.

Their lively conversation began, and I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding.

"I'll bet that you'll get drunk way before I do!" A younger male with brown hair tied in a high ponytail smacked his hand down on the tatami mat.

"Then you'd better be prepared to lose, Heisuke!" replied a man with a green headband and spiky brown hair.

"Don't be cocky now," the man sitting beside Heisuke laughed. He was rather handsome with warm amber eyes and long auburn hair. He reached over and ruffled Heisuke's fringe like an older brother.

Heisuke huffed. "W-what, you don't believe me?"

"Harada," the green headband guy addressed the golden-eyed one. "What say we have a bet?"

"You're on!" Heisuke grinned.

"Go easy on him, Shinpachi," Harada replied with a smirk. "He doesn't know his own weaknesses."

Heisuke ignored him. "First person to get drunk pays the next time we go out to drink!"

"You're on," Shinpachi replied. To my surprise, he then turned to me with glittering blue eyes. "Hey Misora-san, mind being the referee?"

"Me?" I asked incredulously.

"Hey, that's a good idea!" Heisuke piped up. His turquoise eyes were bright when he looked at me. "Make sure those two don't cheat okay?"

"I'll try..." I managed.

"That might not be a good idea," the man with green eyes and short brown hair sighed. He sounded bemused. "You really don't want to be caught up in their bickering, right Hajime-kun?" He turned to look at the man sitting beside him, who looked like he couldn't be bothered to answer. He had dark hair that bordered on indigo and a pair of elusive blue eyes that seemed to be focused on something else entirely.

I honestly didn't like being involved, but I was the one who was supposed to be entertaining them after all.

"Maybe it will be fun," I replied with slightly forced enthusiasm.

The green-eyed man shrugged his shoulders with a smirk.

"Shitsurei shimasu," came an unfamiliar voice from the other side of the room. It belonged to a younger woman, perhaps a maiko, with trays of food and sake. She bowed once and entered the room, and I immediately rose to help gather and distribute them.

"Great, thanks!" Heisuke exclaimed as I set down his tray in front of him. Almost immediately, Shinpachi tried to steal the food on his plate to which Heisuke retaliated aggressively.

As soon as everyone began to enjoy their meal, the maiko excused herself softly and I got straight to the sake-pouring. I started with the quiet, indigo-haired man. He tilted his cup slightly so that I could pour with less difficulty, but said nothing when I was done. I worked my way around to Heisuke, Harada, and Shinpachi, who each thanked me rather loudly. When I reached the man with the violet eyes, I felt my heartbeat start to pick up. He offered me a quick glance, but nothing else. I willed myself not to spill the wine.

"Do geiko usually walk around pouring sake like that?" Heisuke asked when I returned to sit by my set of doors.

His tone was curious, not mocking, but it didn't stop my cheeks from heating up. I hoped that the white powder was enough to conceal it. Truthfully, I had no idea if I was just supposed to sit and pour sake for only one person like I've seen Ayame do, but it hardly felt fair to me.

"Heisuke." The voice came from the man with violet eyes. "You don't work here. It's not your place to question what she does," he reprimanded in a commanding voice.

"But Hijikata-san –"

I froze.

_Hijikata-san._

_ Alright, calm,_ I ordered myself. _Perhaps this is another man with the same name. It does not mean that they are the Shinsengumi._

My hand twitched towards the katana, which I could feel pressing against the left side of my body. There was no solid evidence to prove that they were the Shinsengumi yet, and I probably only had one chance to take someone's life before I was condemned myself. And it didn't quite seem to make sense. Surely the Shinsengumi had too much of a bad reputation to be visiting Shimabara? So I willed myself to keep quiet and continue pouring sake.

By the time the candles began to flicker in the room, the arguments in between Heisuke, and Harada and Shinpachi had become impassioned.

"You're more drunk than me!" slurred Heisuke.

"As if!" laughed Shinpachi. "Misora-san, who do you think is more drunk?"

"Uh...I..." I had temporarily forgotten that I was still a part of their drinking contest.

"Come on now," said the man with the green eyes.

"Souji is right." The dark haired man called Hajime-kun spoke for the first time in a quiet, solemn tone. "There are enough rumours going around about us as it is."

_Rumours. _

Hijikata sighed. "This is what I get for giving them a break," he muttered mostly to himself.

"Don't worry, Hijikata-san," the green-eyed man named Souji grinned. He seemed to enjoy the slight aura of annoyance that hovered. "I'm sure that they'll be fully up for the mission...within a few days."

_Missions._

"Speaking of missions." Harada sobered almost instantly. "Were you able to catch those rogue samurai, Saito?" He turned to the man with the dark indigo hair.

_Rogue samurai._

"Yes," Saito replied blandly.

"It was quite fun." Souji's eyes glittered as he turned to look at Saito as well. "Wouldn't you say, Hajime-kun?"

"Souji," Saito said.

"You don't have to worry about it, Sano-san," Souji said. There was something cold about his voice. "I killed them." He smirked. "Like I was ordered to, of course."

_Kill. _

The word reverberated in my eardrums. I didn't need any more proof. And as if Toshizo Hijikata's name wasn't enough proof already. The handsome man with the striking eyes was the one responsible for the death of my family. He was the reason I was here in this ridiculous outfit, working to please drunkards.

_Quick_, I thought to myself. It was really now or I would have to wait for god knows how long until they came here again or until I saved enough money to leave. My eyes narrowed. There really wasn't another option.

I slowly moved over towards Hijikata with the sake bottle in my hand. I knelt down beside him and poured some wine into his glass. He bent his head to take a sip as I reached delicately inside my kimono and wrapped my fingers around the hilt.

_Now._

In one blindingly quick movement, I drew it out and thrust it straight for his neck.

The only sound I could hear was the sound of a sake cup shattering. I extended my sword as fast as I could to see if I could reach him, but he had already dodged out of the way. Incredible reflexes, I thought dully from the back of my mind.

The entire room was silent, probably from shock.

"Who are you," Toshizo Hijikata growled, his violet eyes flashing.

I didn't reply, well aware that his question was a decoy and that someone was already in motion behind me. I turned my head slightly just enough to see a figure rapidly moving towards me from behind, and I instantly ducked my head to avoid the incoming grab and kicked my right leg out. A loud ripping noise erupted as a result from the harsh movement, but I had no time to look. Saito was already getting back onto his feet and running towards me again.

I swiped my katana in his direction but caught nothing.

"W-what's going on?" Harada's confused voice broke the hazy, half-drunk atmosphere.

"No more playing around," Souji's voice said lazily. I saw him get to his feet.

"Be careful, Souji," Saito warned him.

I could already hear footsteps running towards me, probably from Hijikata. I sidestepped from his lunge and lashed out at him, catching something in the process. He had already moved out of the way, but there was a gash in his kimono sleeve and judging by the way his brows furrowed, I had probably managed to cut him.

"I see you've hurt Hijikata-san," Souji said with a smile. His green eyes glittered dangerously. "Now, I will have to kill you."

As if moving on cue, both Souji and Saito charged for me, knocking over some trays in the process. I almost danced out of their way. Their movements were very quick but were also somewhat inflexible and linear. I braced myself on the tatami mat with one leg thrust out, the other bent with support from my hand. It was a defensive pose that my father had taught me to use whenever faced with multiple opponents, perfect for fast dodging. As I had expected, they changed directions and I pushed off from my bent leg, instantly swivelling around and thrusting the katana towards them.

There was a loud clash as my blade connected with someone else's.

"You think you're the only one who can hide a sword?" Souji mocked. The pressure he was putting on my blade was immense, and I knew that I had no chance winning against him in a battle of raw strength. I quickly pushed off his blade and moved out of the way – and straight into someone. Arms instantly wrapped around my waist.

With a cry of dismay, I pushed against my capturer while trying to reposition my blade but Saito quickly grabbed my wrist. The katana fell from my grasp as my hand went limp. Their figures looming above me was the last thing I saw until something cold came down hard on my head and everything went dark.

* * *

"What do we do now?"

Toshizo Hijikata sighed as he released the woman he was holding in his arms, slowly setting her limp body down on the tatami. Her hair had come loose in their scuffle and it came cascading down to her waist in a curtain of almost pure black. She was quite beautiful, even he had to admit. But she had also ruined the peaceful evening he had hoped to enjoy with everyone.

The room was in shambles. The tatami was ruined from all the spilled food and sake, and there was the shattered sake cup at his seat. The zabuton were scattered haphazardly all over the place.

"Saito, keep guard outside," Hijikata ordered. "Make sure no one gets in."

"Hai," Saito replied instantly.

"Souji, we're taking the woman."

"Are you sure?" Souji asked. "She looked like she was quite skilled at combat. She could be an assassin."

"We can't leave her here," Hijikata said tiredly. The gash on his arm was really starting to bother him and he tried his best not to let that show. "The other geiko will find her and cause more trouble. With all the rumours flying around, it would hardly help us. And if she does happen to be an assassin, she would probably report back to her patron the minute she wakes, thus giving away our location." He turned to look at Souji. "We can't afford to let that happen."

"But if we took her with us, the ochaya would still be angry," Harada pointed out. _The red flush was still visible on his face from the drinking, but he was sober enough to point out the facts_, Hijikata thought. _Harada should have won the drinking contest. _

"We'll have to make do with just that. Hopefully we could make it look like she ran away."

"And what do we do once we take her to headquarters?" Souji asked.

"We'll have to confine her," Hijikata replied. Damn, the wound was really throbbing. "Let's go. Quickly."

Souji and Harada got to work at once, Harada picking up the woman and slinging her over his shoulder, while Souji roused Heisuke and Shinpachi and got them up on their feet.

"Are we walking again?" Heisuke slurred sleepily.

"Baka," Souji sighed.

Hijikata slowly opened the front door and beckoned to Saito, who was dutifully standing outside. "We should hurry and clean this room before anyone comes in."

"Leave it to me," Saito said immediately. Hijikata started to protest, but Saito cut him off. "With all due respect, fukuchou, you are injured. You should return to headquarters and have Yamazaki treat the wound as soon as possible."

The vice commander let out a half-sigh, half-chuckle. "Very well then. But please be careful."

"Hai."


	3. Chapter 3

**Whew...another chapter done. This will probably be my last update for the break and then I will be getting extremely busy with schoolwork.**

**I will try to write whenever I can, but expect progress to be slower. University applications will be due soon and I really need to finish mine.**

**As always, enjoy and please leave a review to let me know what you think of the story!**

* * *

_"Run, Misora!"_

_ My mother was lying in front of me, her dark eyes desperate and pleading. _

_ "You have to run!" She hissed. Footsteps sounded on the wooden stairs just outside the room, signalling the impending arrival of many. I looked down at my hands, and in them was a single wooden sword. One wooden sword, against dozens of fully armed men. _

_ "No," I said. _

_ "You have to!" She begged. "Please, for my sake and for your father's! You need to get far away from the Shinsengumi!"_

_ The frenzied look in her eyes made me want to listen to her, to turn around and do what I was told. Every instinct in my body was itching to hightail out of the room, through the other set of doors that lead straight down to the backyard. _

_ "Hijikata-san, this where they are hiding."_

_ The shoji door slid open with a loud thump. _

My eyes flew open. The first thing I felt was a dull ache that throbbed through my entire body. I gave a slight groan, but the sound came from the back of my throat. After blinking a few times, I realized that I couldn't talk. There was something in my mouth with another piece of cloth tied tightly over it, preventing any forms of speech.

"Kondou-san, that isn't the best idea." A familiar voice reached my ears. It was surprisingly close as well, coming from the doors to my right.

"There's no harm in trying," came the surprisingly cheerful reply. "I'm curious to see the reason behind her actions."

I sat up with a jolt, squinting against the bright daylight from outside. Two tall figures loomed ahead of me in the doorway, and I tensed, prepared to spring. But I couldn't move. My wrists and ankles were both bound tightly together in heavy rope. I was virtually helpless. Well, almost helpless. I turned around and glared at the both of them.

"Ohayou gozaimasu," said an unfamiliar man with spiky dark brown hair. He had amber eyes and a smile that was so warm it seemed false. Beside him, the familiar figure of Hijikata returned my glare through icy violet eyes. I felt a twinge of satisfaction to see that he was carrying his two swords with him this time. "I'm sorry for tying you up like this," continued the man who was presumably called Kondou. He knelt down beside me and started untying the ropes that bound my wrists. Hijikata tensed beside him and his hand hovered over the katana on his left hip.

They waited for me to untie the ropes around my ankles and the cloth around my mouth, Kondou with smiling patience and Hijikata with uneasy distaste.

"Tell me," Kondou begun again as I rubbed my raw wrists. "Why were you after Toshi – I mean, Hijikata-san?"

His words were surprisingly simple, and I decided to ignore them.

"Why don't you just kill me now?" I countered flatly.

Kondou looked surprised for a moment. "We have no intention of harming you," he said patiently. "We just want to know why."

"If you don't know, then there's no point in telling you," I shot back.

"Kondou-san, there is no point in reasoning with this girl," Hijikata said before Kondou could reply.

"I'm sure she will speak eventually," Kondou replied with a hopeful smile. He straightened up. "Whatever we have done to make you angry, I apologize for it." He dipped his head diplomatically. "Lunch will be served soon."

"I don't want your apology or your food."

This caused him to pause for a moment. "So what is it you want?"

I levelled a glare at him. "I want my parents back."

"Your parents?" Kondou repeated. He sounded slightly confused.

"You killed my father and my mother, broke into our home and destroyed my entire life," I spat.

Kondou's expression changed from confused to bewildered, but something flickered underneath Hijikata's gaze.

"You were there!" I snarled at him, struggling to my feet.

"Toshi, what is she talking about?" Kondou asked.

"The rogue samurai we encountered about several months ago," Hijikata replied automatically. His voice was flat, dull as if it was no more but old news to him."They were causing trouble in town and we assumed that they were allied with the Choshuu."

I felt tears prick at the back of my eyes and I forced them down with all my willpower. There was no way I could let these people see my weakness. But Kondou saw through my facade easily.

"There there," he comforted, placing a hand on my shoulder, but I shook it off violently as if I could be burned by it.

"Kondou-san, get back," Hijikata said, stepping in front of him.

"I hate you all," I snarled. There were worlds of pain bubbling and fizzing just beneath my skin, pain that I had kept inside me for all this time. These people were murderers, and I would never forgive them. No matter how much kindness or mercy they showed me.

_**"I hate you!"**_

* * *

An uncomfortable silence settled in the air in between the Shinsengumi's two commanders as they left the room.

"So her father was a rogue samurai," Kondou said.

"It would seem so," Hijikata replied. "They threatened us first, so we had no choice but to fight back. Although..." he placed his thumb underneath his chin, as if in thought, "I'm fairly certain that even we didn't manage to kill every single one of them."

"So then her father was one of the samurai that were killed? But what about her mother?"

Hijikata was silent. He remembered vague orders from the Aizu to eliminate all witnesses and traces of the Choshuu, but he would honestly have no conclusion until perhaps the girl would stop acting like a rabid wolf and talk to them like a sane person.

"Well perhaps you should have explained to her," Kondou continued. "She might have forgiven you."

The vice commander said nothing, but he knew it was highly unlikely. When she had lunged for them again, purely blinded by rage, he swiftly took her out with the hilt of his katana. _At this rate_, Hijikata thought, _her forehead would look like it grew mushrooms_.

"It's really not often you meet a woman like her," Kondou commented nonchalantly, and Hijikata instantly stopped dead in his tracks.

"Kondou-san," he protested, his tone bordering on a lecture. "What do you mean by that?"

"She's a geiko who possesses unusual skill in combat, right?" His commander said.

"Yes," Hijikata agreed, mollified. "But that makes her a threat to avoid."

"But she's still just a young woman," Kondou reasoned. "I wonder why her father hasn't married her off."

"Perhaps her ability to fight with a sword scared all her suitors away."

Kondou chuckled, and for a while, the only sound that could be heard was from their footsteps against the wooden floor.

"Have you ever wondered what it would feel like to grow up living a normal life, Toshi?"

"No," the vice commander replied. He was feeling slightly flustered at the strange turn in the conversation. "We're the leaders of the Shinsengumi now, Kondou-san. We are samurai. It's what we have always wanted since we were younger."

"You're right," Kondou agreed with a smile. After a slight pause, he said, "You know, she reminds me of you."

This time, Hijikata had no idea how to reply.

"That look in her eyes. It was the look of a demon with only one specific goal in her mind."

"I didn't become a demon to seek vengeance," Hijikata replied, looking up towards the midday sky. "I became a demon because Serizawa-san was right about me. I had no resolve to achieve. And without that resolve, there was no way I could raise you to a position of higher power, Kondou-san." He turned to look at his old friend. "You know that."

"Of course, Toshi," Kondou replied. He had already known his vice commander's purpose and was extremely grateful. "However, I can't help but think that she just needs some proper guidance. She could become someone as great as you with a mindset as strong as that," he continued thoughtfully.

Hijikata scoffed, but he could not deny that his commader's words made sense. "Only you would have the ability to see one's weaknesses as strengths." He found himself smiling slightly. "I believe that it's called kindness."

"I see it in you every day," Kondou replied.

"Hijikata-san! Kondou-san!"

The two of them both looked up at Heisuke's cheerful voice. He was approaching them, with Harada in tow, looking as if he had never been drunk a single day in his life.

"How is she?" he asked vivaciously. "Can I go see her?"

"No," Hijikata replied flatly.

"She's resting right now," Kondou explained apologetically. "Perhaps you should visit when she feels better."

"You two should be doing something useful," Hijikata said, his brows furrowed.

"But it's almost lunchtime!" Heisuke protested at exactly the same time Harada said, "Hai."

"Then go and help Saito-kun in the kitchen," the vice commander replied sharply. "The chores won't get done by themselves and since you seem to have nothing better to do, you'd better put that manpower to good use." Without another word, he stepped smoothly past them in the direction of his room. Kondou, Harada, and Heisuke watched him leave.

"Well Hijikata-san is sure grumpier than usual," Heisuke grumbled.

"He's just a little worried by the turn of events," Kondou replied with a smile. "He'll come around soon."

He hoped that for everyone's sake, the young woman resting in the empty guest room would come around soon as well.

* * *

When I came to my senses again, I found myself sprawled over the ground with my face pressed against the tatami mat. There was probably an imprint of it on my cheek, but I could really care less. There was an untouched lunch tray just by the door, which was probably a trap of some kind. The Shinsengumi were most likely wondering how to dispose of me this instant. They had already taken both my father and my mother's lives, and I didn't believe for one second that they would spare mine. I was a woman, unfit to become a warrior in their eyes, as well as a threat. Besides, even if they somehow decided to let me live, I had no home to return to. There was no way I could go back to being a geiko now that my main objective had failed, and I certainly wasn't about to be held captive like a pathetic little girl.

I remember when Suzuki-san's friends had talked about honourable suicide back at Shimabara. It was something that I had heard of before, where samurai warriors would end their own lives to prevent being caught by the enemy.

They had obviously taken my father's katana away from me, so it wasn't going to be an easy ritual. My hands and feet were bound back together for extra precaution, and they had replaced the cloth around my face. Suffocation was a possible way out, but for some reason it felt much too tame and quiet. If I only had one chance at death, I wanted it to be something that the Shinsengumi would remember forever. I gritted my teeth together. I wanted something to scar them the same way they had scarred me. I stayed still and pondered this with a calmness that even made myself a little frightened. I wasn't sure if ramming my head against the tatami would be enough, but it was definitely worth a try. So I lifted my head and forced it back down hard against the ground, which turned out to be quite solid. The first blow brought on an instant wave of pain. I clamped my jaws around the gag to prevent myself from attempting to scream and tried again. This time, I couldn't help the ragged noise that escaped the back of my throat. The pain was excruciating, and spots began floating in front of my eyes. After the third time, the world was starting to feel fuzzy around the edges.

And that was when the doors to the room flew open. The blurry figure silhouetted against the paler backdrop stood still for a moment, as if aghast.

"What do you think you're doing?" The voice was familiar, pitched in a low growl. Then a hand was touching my forehead, which throbbed in response. I jerked away, but a rough hand seized my shoulder, preventing all forms of escape.

"Bakayarou," Hijikata said in an annoyed tone. But he sounded slightly different from when I last saw him. His voice carried a hint of something else, but I couldn't think clearly. "If your father was here, do you think he would want to see you dead?"

"A samurai's honour comes before life," I murmured.

"You are far from a samurai," he snapped. When I didn't reply, he continued in a quieter tone, "And we are not murderers. We only follow the orders of Tokugawa in order to survive, and we would not have attacked otherwise."

He was quiet for a moment, but his cool fingers continued to probe my forehead.

"I'm sorry."

It was most likely my fuzzy vision, but I thought I saw remorse in those violet eyes.

"Fukuchou!" another voice came from behind Hijikata. Another man made his way into the room. He was slighter in stature and had shorter, spiky hair.

"Oh, it's you, Yamazaki," Hijikata said, relief clear in his tone as he swivelled to look at the newcomer.

"What happened?"

"She hit her head against the ground."

The other man knelt beside him and touched my forehead with much gentler fingers.

I squinted at him. He had violet eyes as well and a sharp, intelligent face.

"Are you alright?" he asked me.

It didn't make any sense. Why were they trying to save me? The months of bitter fury seemed to have instantly dispersed, and in its place was bewilderment. I had caused them so much trouble, hadn't I?

I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't find time for a response.

"She's probably in a state of confusion right now," the man named Yamazaki said. "But she doesn't seem to have broken anything." He sighed. "She'll be alright, but bruised by the looks of it."

"Would you mind watching her for a short while?" Hijikata asked, standing up. _He looks tall and proud from this angle, standing against the pale daylight_, I thought abstractedly. _Much less like a villain and more like a hero..._

"Hai," Yamazaki agreed.

There was the sound of footsteps, and then the door firmly sliding shut.


	4. Chapter 4

**Managed to scrape this up in the middle of all my work ;S**

**Now if I could only write fanfiction for a living...**

**Enjoy, and please leave a review!**

* * *

When I woke again, my mind was fuzzy with mingled thoughts of my parents. But for some strange reason, my mind had conjured up the image of myself as a princess and my parents as the rulers of a nameless clan. We were all surrounded by people who cared about us and people who made sure that no harm could ever come to anyone. It was such a wonderful world that when I came to my senses, I was filled with an overwhelming disappointment.

I lifted a hand to my forehead and found that all the rope had been removed from my body. There was a piece of cloth tied not around my mouth, but around my forehead as if to bandage the wound from my attempted suicide. I was still wearing the geiko kimono from what seemed like ages ago, the rip in the side included.

"Do you know why you're not gagged and tied up?" A voice said, and I immediately sat up, wincing when my head gave a resounding throb. There was a familiar man with brown hair and green eyes who I recalled was Souji. His gaze was shadowed as he leaned against the wall, sheathed katana casually propped up against one shoulder.

I decided to take the bait. "Why?"

He turned to look in my direction and smirked sadistically. "Because I would have no problem silencing you myself."

His words were frightening, but something told me that he would not hurt me. But for my own sake, I should probably not test his patience...or should I?

"Eat," he said in a strangely cheery tone as he pushed a tray of food towards me.

It was the exact same food tray that had been left here during lunchtime.

"I'm not hungry," I said, folding my arms.

I could almost feel the tick mark appear on his forehead.

"Eat," he repeated in the same cheery voice, but his smile carried an undercurrent of malice. "Or I'll kill you."

"Then do it," I replied, returning his stare. "I really don't mind."

He was briefly lost for words for a moment before he heaved an annoyed sigh. One eyebrow twitched, betraying his irritation underneath his composed expression. "I really would, if it weren't for Kondou-san and Hijikata-san."

"Why would they care?" I wondered aloud.

"Think of how much trouble a dead body would be," he replied casually.

"Aren't I more troublesome when I'm alive?"

I was playing with fire, and I knew that quite well. Souji was not a force to be reckoned with. But then again, neither was I.

Suddenly, the door slid open, revealing two primly poised figures against a background of fading sunlight. One was the indigo-haired man named Saito, and behind him stood the spiky-haired Yamazaki.

"Souji," Saito said in the same dull monotone. "Hijikata-san's orders were to prevent this woman from committing suicide."

"Yeah, yeah," Souji sighed blithely, tucking his arms behind his head and leaning back against the wall in a feline stretch. "It's too crowded in here. I'm going to get some air." He picked up his katana and breezed by Saito and Yamazaki as they entered.

"How are you feeling?" Yamazaki asked, setting down a bucket of water.

"Fine."

He gently removed the cloth from my head and inspected the wound. "It looks much better. Are you still feeling any light-headedness or confusion?"

"Not...really."

"That's good," he said. "But make sure you eat to keep up your strength. You'll heal faster that way."

Yamazaki dipped the cloth into the bucket and wrung the excess water out. With dexterity, he neatly folded the cloth into a rectangle and instructed me to lie down. I did as I was told, and he gently placed the cool cloth over the slight lump. It felt nice against my feverish skin.

"Hey!" a familiar but muffled voice sounded from just outside. "W-what are you doing!?"

The vivacious tone was confirmed when the owner of the voice burst into the room. Or rather, was thrust into the room by a golden-eyed man's firm grasp.

"Sorry to interrupt," Harada said rapturously as both Saito and Yamazaki turned around. "This little man was trying to eavesdrop."

Heisuke was caught like a little brown-haired puppy in Harada's arms. A feisty little puppy who was struggling vainly in embarrassment.

"Quit that, Sano-san!" he howled, a faint blush beginning to condense across his cheeks when his turquoise eyes met mine. I couldn't help but suppress a smile.

Harada ground his knuckles against Heisuke's forehead playfully. "Why don't you ask for this young woman's last name right now if you were so curious, Heisuke?" he said over his protests.

"Okay, okay!" Heisuke exclaimed, and Harada released him, stepping back with a satisfied smile. Heisuke rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, not meeting my gaze. He looked so adorable and innocent that I momentarily forgot who these people were.

"U-um," he began, "I just wanted to ask about...how you would like me to address you..." he stuttered.

"Just call me Misora," I said. His visit sure managed to cheer me up quite a bit. "My last name is Sakurai if you prefer to use that instead," I added for good measure.

"Okay then," Heisuke replied, still rubbing the back of his head. His eyes met mine for a second before shyly flitting away.

"That's quite a lovely name," Harada commented. His voice matched his smile – warm and genuine, like that of an older brother's.

"Although quite rare here in the West," Yamazaki added thoughtfully. "Sakurai is your father's last name?"

And suddenly, the warmth that I had felt from the past moments instantly vanished.

"S-sumimasen," Yamazaki quickly apologized, as if noticing the change. He looked regretful as he stared down at the tatami.

I felt so ashamed of myself that I wished that Hijikata had not saved my life earlier. My father was dead, and here I was, casually talking with the same group of people who had murdered him. A cold vise seized my heart and I felt frozen with it. But, it still didn't change the fact that he really did save me...

"Is something wrong, Misora-chan?"

I didn't reply at first, but felt bad for it almost instantaneously.

"No," I said.

There was a loud growl of a hungry stomach in the short silence that followed. Judging by Heisuke's expression, it was probably his stomach's outburst.

I looked at the untouched food tray sitting not far from my futon. My appetite had shrivelled up long since, and the fact that the food was cold didn't add to its appeal.

"Heisuke," Harada sighed.

"What?" Heisuke protested indignantly. "Shinpachi stole most of my lunch earlier!"

"You can have mine."

The words just popped out of my mouth before I could stop them.

"Misora-chan," Yamazaki began.

Heisuke turned to look at me with surprise. "That's alright, Misora-san..."

One look at his face and I knew that any pretense of contempt would be meaningless. He was just too innocent and too...child-like. I could hardly believe that someone like him was a part of the Mibu Wolves.

"It's fine," I said to Yamazaki, who looked somewhat concerned. "I'm not hungry at the moment anways." To Heisuke, I added, "Call me Misora. I don't think we have that much of a gap in between our ages."

His eyes brightened.

"And please go ahead." I nodded towards the food tray.

He looked at Harada once, as if asking for permission.

"I suppose if Misora-chan agrees," Harada sighed.

Heisuke sat down cautiously beside me and hesitantly picked up the chopsticks. He looked at me once more for confirmation, and I nodded encouragingly. It would be of more use to him than me at this moment, anyways. He dug in gratefully.

_Could I really hate these people?_ I wondered to myself as I watched Heisuke eat. His high ponytail seemed to quiver slightly like a tail. Then there was Yamazaki, who was tending to my injury, Harada with his gentlemanly nature, someone cooking the meals for me, and Hijikata, who had saved my life. Their actions hinted at something else, perhaps true remorse for what they have done?

"Hey, Sano-san," a head poked in through the open doorway. It belonged to Shinpachi, the guy with the green headband. When his gaze settled on me, his white grin widened. "Misora-chan! I'm glad to see that you're better!"

He pushed his way in, his large stature almost taking up the remaining space in the room.

"What's going on here?"

At the sound of this new voice, Shinpachi seemed to freeze in his tracks for a moment. Everyone stepped out of the way to let the owner of the voice in. Heisuke turned around with his mouth full, and his turquoise eyes widened.

Hijikata said nothing, but his gaze spoke volumes. I saw Heisuke shrink back slightly.

"It's not his fault, I told him to help himself," I cut in before he had a chance to defend himself. His glare shifted to me, and I forced myself to stand my ground.

"Don't think you can get away with starving yourself to death," the vice commander said in the same low voice.

"I wasn't hungry," I sighed. How many times did I have to repeat myself to make them believe me?

"She was thinking only of Heisuke, Hijikata-san," Harada said, respectfully dipping his head.

"Y-yeah." Heisuke swallowed forcefully. "That's right."

"I believe the nausea from the head injury shrunk her appetite," Yamazaki spoke up from his place beside me. It was then when I realized that Saito was no longer in the room. He must have slipped out when no one noticed. "She will probably be back to normal by the time dinner is served."

Hijikata looked around the room, as if he didn't expect everyone to come to my defense.

"I can't believe you all," he said. "And where is Souji?"

"Okita-san went out to get some air," Yamazaki reported.

"You may leave now as well," Hijikata replied, to which Yamazaki dipped his head and got up to leave. "All of you."

Heisuke ate another mouthful of rice and I chuckled at how his cheeks were rounded from the food, but Harada smacked him over the head.

"Ow!" he complained.

"Let's go, Heisuke." His golden eyes met mine, and I was startled at how tall he looked from this angle. "Get better soon, Misora-chan."

Then he lugged Heisuke out of the room.

"For how long do you still plan on wasting your life?" Hijikata snapped, turning to me. His ponytail whipped around gracefully from his sharp movement.

"I'm not," I replied, startled by his sudden words. I sat up in my agitation, and the cloth fell of my head. He knelt down and tossed it back into the unattended bucket. "But...I would like to know if I'm allowed to leave." The moment the words were out of my mouth, I wished I could just snatch them back.

"As of now, you are still a prisoner," was the vice commander's stern reply. "And a wounded one. Focus on getting well first, and that means eating your meals." His tone became harsh again, and then he spun around and stalked out of the door.

I guess I was stuck here with these men, then. My gaze focused on the cloth floating around in the bucket, the water still rippling from Hijikata's presence. But perhaps there were worse places to end up in Japan.

* * *

For the next few days, I did as I was told. I slept off my misgivings about my situation and ate my meals like someone who was taken with the idea of life. The wound on my forehead had diminished noticeably as well, thanks to Yamazaki's medical guidance. And Souji kept almost a constant guard on me, making sure that I still had the will to live.

"Tell me about everyone," I said to him one sunny morning.

He was at his usual position against the wall.

"There's not much to talk about," he replied nonchalantly. He opened his lazy green eyes. "But I suppose I should now that you're here with us."

I smirked slightly. Souji wasn't bad company sometimes, but I wasn't ever going to tell him that.

"In case you really haven't noticed, we are the Shinsengumi. Kondou-san is our commander and Hijikata-san is our vice commander. Although," he said, placing a finger underneath his chin, "he is referred to as the oni-fukuchou more often than not."

It was understandable, in a vague kind of way. He did seem very strict to his men. But I felt that there was something else to it as well. As I pondered this, I became aware of the noise coming from outside, the sound of wooden swords clashing against each other in a flurry. I was about to get up and open the door to observe, but Souji beat me to it. I peered out from behind his shoulder at the bright daylight.

Saito and Shinpachi were facing each other down. I watched as they sprung into movement, charging towards each other. Shinpachi had a lot of strength, and it was evident in his strikes. But Saito had a strange calmness to him that hinted at incredible skill, which was obvious in his minimalistic movements.

They briefly separated from their intense dance, and Shinpachi's bright blue eyes shifted to us.

"Souji!" he called, waving one hand up in the air.

"Ohayo, Shinpachi-san," Souji replied, stepping out onto the wooden floor of the deck and then into the full light of day.

"Misora-chan!" I was startled by the familiar call of my name. Shinpachi was smiling broadly at me from the courtyard. "Why don't you come out for a bit too? You've been cooped up inside for days!"

I had never truly seen a formal sparring session before, so I silently agreed and stepped outside, settling down comfortably on the wooden steps as Shinpachi handed Souji his wooden sword. Feeling my curious gaze, Souji smiled at me before turning to Saito.

"Begin!" Shinpachi called, and the two briefly touched the tips of their wooden swords together.

Souji wasted no time and dashed forward, bringing his sword down. Saito easily blocked. He pushed Souji off and brought his arm back for a powerful forward thrust. I blinked. There seemed to be something off about his stance, but he was moving too fast I couldn't be sure of what I saw.

Saito pushed forward so quickly that he became a blur. Souji narrowly dodged out of the way with a quick slide step, a move that I recognized as one that my father had taught me. He immediately whipped around and prepared his own thrust, but he wasn't fast enough. Saito knew that as well, and he sidestepped easily, leaving Souji wide open with his sword in midair. The next move was so fast I could barely see what had happened. But it somehow ended with Saito holding his wooden katana against Souji's side, wisps of indigo hair gently settling around his face.

"One hit in," Shinpachi announced.

The two men stepped back and bowed to each other.

Souji sighed good-naturedly. "Undefeatable as always, Hajime-kun."

"You have improved as well." Saito dipped his head. My gaze shifted to his sword, which was indeed held in his left palm. No wonder he was so difficult to defeat.

"What's wrong, Misora-chan?" I heard Souji's voice from above me, and I looked up at him.

"Nothing," I replied.

"You know how to use a sword, is that correct?" Saito spoke, his blue gaze resting on me.

"Somewhat."

"Then why don't you give it a shot?" Shinpachi suggested, speaking the words that were on everyone's minds.

To be honest, I was curious about my abilities. So I nodded and Saito handed me his sword to which I gave him a questioning look. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Souji pass his sword to Shinpachi. When he caught me looking curiously, he chuckled.

"I might not be able to control myself," he explained coyly. "Hajime-kun thinks so as well."

Oh, so they were afraid they would hurt me.

"Don't you worry, Misora-chan," Shinpachi reassured me. "I'm not going to hurt you."

"Please don't hold back," I said, and his smile briefly vanished. "I want an honest assessment of my skill level."

He looked startled. Clearly he thought of women as passive creatures who were completely incompetent with swords. This man perhaps visited Shimabara on a daily basis. I could feel adrenaline spark through my veins. I wanted to show him how wrong he was about me.

"Ready?" Souji asked.

_Start position_. I could hear my father's calm voice in my head_. Sword in front, arms relaxed but held straight, weight balanced in between balls of feet_. I can do this.

"Begin."

I moved first because I knew if I waited for Shinpachi, he would overpower me easily with his strength. I had to be fast, like Saito. Shinpachi dodged my first thrust with a surprised grunt. He tried to bring his sword down on my exposed back. I avoided the blow altogether by jumping out of the way. I had to try and prevent a direct clash of our swords at all costs. The blow he missed left him completely open to attack. But before my sword could touch his shoulder, I heard the sound of his sword whizzing through the air. I narrowly ducked and immediately swung as hard as I could at his knees. It hit him squarely with a loud smack and he stumbled backwards when he tried to rebalance himself. He ended up dazed on the ground.

I bent down and offered a hand, which he took. There was a faint dusting of pink across his face.

"I told you not to go easy on me," I said.

"Wow, that was amazing!"

Harada, Heisuke, and Hijikata were standing on the wooden deck. It was Heisuke who had spoken out. By the looks on their faces, they must have been standing there for a while.

"I don't recall giving you permission to wander around," Hijikata said in the same stern voice as he descended down the wooden steps. "You should be resting."

"And waste my life?" I returned. "Not a chance."

I caught a trace of a smile on his lips, but he coughed, disguising it perfectly.

"Hijikata-san, why don't we let Misora-chan join the Shinsengumi?" I turned to look at Souji in surprise, but there was no telling if he really meant his words.

"What are you talking about?" The vice commander's reply was cold. "We already have enough men to fight in our ranks."

"But there are no flowers anywhere," Souji commented offhandedly.

I didn't stay behind to hear Hijikata's reply. I went back into the calming shade of the wooden deck and headed directly for my room.

It had already become clear to me that I couldn't truly hate these people. I found it even hard to believe that they were supposedly responsible for the death of my parents. But why would they treat me with such respect, allowing me to wander around so freely, trying to make me see a reason in life, then shove me away? Was it all a part of some elaborate plan? But I guess it didn't even matter. I would have to get ready and leave soon. Maybe I could be back at Shimabara by the time the sun set, when it was busy there and Masaki-san would probably appreciate some extra help.

I left the wooden sword outside my door and stepped into the comforting darkness. I was stupid to believe that these people would let me stay here. But it didn't matter, it didn't matter. And why was I even upset in the first place?

I shut the door rather loudly behind me and leaned against the wooden frame.

_What was I going to do?_


	5. Chapter 5

**So sorry that this took so long! I have four hard courses this semester and two portfolios to complete. For those of you still waiting for an update on Of Destiny and Fate, its coming up soon so please hold on for a little while longer!**

**Thank you and enjoy~**

* * *

By the time late sunset came around, I had formulated a plan to escape back to Shimabara. I wasn't about to stay here, where I wasn't wanted. My father's katana was still in the Shinsengumi's possession, but there was no possible way for me to obtain it discreetly much to my regret. I would have to earn enough money as a geiko to buy a new one. The thought of leaving my father's katana behind, the only proof that he ever existed, was mentally exhausting and it made my situation into a dilemma. But I knew that he would have wanted me to leave if he were alive.

"Okita-san," I said in the most innocent voice that I could muster. "If it's not too much trouble, I would like to bathe."

Souji turned to look at me with one green eye. "I'll have to go with you then."

"N-nani?" I protested. He could _not_ be serious.

"It would be quite a disaster if you took this opportunity to escape, Misora-chan." He got to his feet lazily and gave me a knowing look.

"There isn't anywhere for me to run to..." I replied with a gaze that I hoped was earnest.

He looked away with a chuckle. "At least allow me to escort you there. This place is very easy to get lost in."

This guy..._was I that easy to read_? I convinced myself it didn't matter. I wasn't giving up that easily.

"Alright, fine," I agreed. "But I'll kill you if you try anything funny."

This time, there was genuine laughter from him. "I'll keep that in mind. Especially now that I've seen you defeat Shinpachi-san."

"He was just going easy on me," I replied, as we started down the deck towards the East wing of the gigantic house. "You were going easy on Saito-san as well?"

Silence met my words, and I carefully took a peek at him. He looked mostly the same, completely unreadable.

"What makes you say that?"

"Your forward thrust was a bit slow," I admitted. "It looked like you were doing it on purpose."

Again, there was more silence.

"You're very observant," he said nonchalantly. Stopping in his tracks, he looked directly ahead. "The well is over there."

I followed his gaze to where a wooden bucket stood on a square-shaped well. It was situated directly in the open courtyard, across from the deck. Anyone who opened a door would be able to see me. How was I supposed to take a bath in public?

"Well go on," Souji prodded. "I won't look."

I smacked his shoulder before I could stop myself, and he laughed.

"You're dead wrong if you think I'm taking my clothes off in front of you," I snapped. "But anyways, that's not even where you really bathe, is it."

"Look around, Misora-chan," he replied nonchalantly, "you're in a house full of men. Bathing is less of a priority here."

From the looks of it, he didn't intend on leading me to another more appropriate place to bathe. I had no choice but to play along.

"Fine. But you're not allowed to look at all, or I will actually hurt you."

"Alright, alright," he agreed, and turned around so that he was facing away. Hopefully, I had convinced him enough that I wasn't running away. I descended the wooden deck towards the well. And now for the hard part...

The bucket was empty, so I threw it into the well and pulled it back up. Just to make sure that Souji really wasn't looking, I lowered the collar of my kimono so that it slid over my bare shoulders. The water was freezing despite the temperate weather, so I made some convincing splashing noises using my hands. True to his word, Souji didn't budge. When I thought I had made enough bathing noises, I refilled the bucket to about half-full and slowly began unwinding the rope that attached it to the well. I did this with extreme caution, as it would be disastrous if Souji caught me in the act. The rope was fairly thick, but it was long enough so that I could almost reach the wooden deck where he stood with his back to me. Taking a breath, I reached out as far as I could and tapped him on his shoulder. As I had thought, he started to swivel his head around to face me and I flung the bucketful of water as hard as I could at his startled expression.

"I said not to look!" I yelled, dropping the bucket and spinning around instantly. The rope nearly caught my ankle and I stumbled, but I pushed off the ground before I could fall and sprinted full speed towards the East wing. A strange feeling of guilt twisted in my gut as I heard him break out into a coughing fit. Some of the water must have gone down his throat.

"Misora!" he managed to call through the coughing, but I didn't turn around. I couldn't lose my resolve now.

_Sorry Souji_, I thought regretfully as I continued running.

The house seemed to grow darker and quieter as I reached the East Wing, and I decided to stop and catch my breath. I climbed onto the wooden deck as quietly as I could manage and sat down, my chest heaving. Souji was right about this place. The darkness seemed to stretch on forever down the hallway. My gaze focused on the tall wooden fence directly ahead. It looked too tall to scale, but it was worth a try. It was eerily quiet when I placed a hand on the horizontal board near the middle. The fence was extremely well made, as if to purposefully thwart people who attempted to climb it. My foot slipped from the board, and I winced. My grasp on the fence was already loosening, and I stretched my other hand above me. If I could only just reach the top...

"Blood...give me blood..."

The voice was sinister and barely human, and it sent chills up my spine. I immediately let go of the fence and landed softly in the grass before spinning around to face my confronter.

It was a man, dressed in an ordinary kimono and hakama. But he had white hair and unnatural, glowing red eyes. His face was contorted into a sadistic mask of glee – the glee of a predator that had its prey cornered. It was completely grotesque and chilled me right down to the bone. He took a step towards me, hands grasping in my direction.

"Stop right there!" I shouted, fumbling around for the katana that wasn't there.

"Give me blood..." the man hissed, as if he was beyond understanding me.

He took a few steps towards me again, his teeth bared in part grin, part snarl. And then all of a sudden, he seemed to stop. I saw the malicious expression on his face fade slightly with the glowing red of his eyes. He clutched at his head as if in agony, tilted back, and roared. _A wolf_, I found myself thinking abstractedly. _Howling at the crescent moon with the pain and fury of a terrible struggle_. Then there was a choking sound, and my eyes focused again. The end of a katana was pointing out from his chest. He lifted his hands, which were shaking from the effort, then went completely limp as the life left his body. He collapsed onto the ground.

Souji stood in front of me, breathing hard. He was hunched over, holding the katana out in front of him for a few more moments before starting to cough again. He lifted a blood-splattered hand to his mouth in attempt to stifle the hacking.

"Souji!" A voice shouted from the distance. Moments later, Hijikata and Kondou appeared from the surrounding twilight, running towards us. It was Kondou that had cried out. They must have heard the commotion from close by.

"Are you alright?" He asked urgently, bending down and placing both hands on Souji's shoulders.

"I'm fine, Kondou-san," Souji managed.

"What happened?" Hijikata demanded.

"We ran into a Rasetsu on our way to the baths." Again, he was covering for me. He coughed again, still not fully recovered from his fit.

"Are you injured?" The vice commander turned to look at me with dark violet eyes.

"I'm fine," I replied. My voice sounded thick in my throat and I realized that I was far from it.

"That was careless of you, Souji," he said. His tone was grave.

"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry, Hijikata-san," Souji replied. "It was mostly my fault for leading her this far."

"Bakayarou," Hijikata snapped. "You do realize that now she is involved in our troubles as well." He sighed, sounding tired and worn.

Souji said nothing.

"I hoped that it wouldn't have to come down to this," the vice commander said. "But I'm afraid that you won't be permitted to leave our headquarters anymore."

"Is that so?" I was surprised that I still had a voice.

"I am asking you to become a member of the Shinsengumi."

"I thought you didn't want me to."

"Of course we do, Misora-kun," Kondou spoke before Hijikata could reply. His gaze was sincere enough that I almost believed him. "When Toshi told me about your sparring match with Nagakura-kun, it was the first thing on our minds."

I found my gaze shifting to Souji for confirmation.

"You'd be quite a handful, Misora-chan," he said in his usual playful voice, which was still rough from the coughing. "But I can't say that I mind."

"Then it's settled," Kondou immediately said.

"Wait." I looked at the body of the dead man, which was already beginning to disintegrate into dust before my very eyes. "I want to know what that is."

The two commanders exchanged a look, but it was Kondou that spoke again.

"They are called Rasetsu," he explained, straightening up. "They were originally humans who have taken special medication called the Ochimizu, which increases their physical strength and regeneration abilities." His tone became solemn. "But as you can see, it comes with dangerous side effects. They begin to lose control and thirst for blood."

"What are they doing here?"

"We were given orders by the Bakufu to test out the medication on our members and research the effects further," Hijikata cut in. His violet eyes dared me to accuse them of atrocity.

"What kind of a leader would test this out on his own men?" I found myself saying. Especially since he knew about the medication already and what it could do to his subordinates. It was disgusting to think about.

"You don't know anything about the struggles we lived with." The sudden fury in his voice was startling. "Do you think I like seeing members of my own team like this?"

"Toshi," Kondou said, placing a hand on his vice commander's shoulder. To everyone, he added,

"Why don't we all return to our quarters for the night? We'll discuss this further in the morning."

Without warning, Hijikata whipped around and walked away, in silent agreement. He was really a strange character. And I still wasn't sure what to make of his questionable actions as a leader or if it was the right choice to stay here.

"Don't worry, Misora-chan," Souji said. His green eyes were trained on my face with the perceptiveness of a cat. "Hijikata-san is probably just tired. But he wasn't lying when he asked you to join us."

"Misora-kun, it would mean the world to us if you could just consider it," Kondou spoke. "You won't be forced to fight for us if you feel that you are not ready."

"Yes, of course I will think about it." It would be the only thing on my mind tonight.

"Arigatou," he dipped his head. "And please, just talk to me if you need anything at all."

"Hai."

"It's getting quite late," Souji observed. "I'll take you back to your room, Misora-chan." He got to his feet.

"Are you sure you're alright, Souji?" Kondou asked worriedly.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," he reassured him quickly, although with less nonchalance this time. "Oyasumi, Kondou-san." He nodded politely to his leader and begun walking back, leaving me no choice but to obediently follow him.

"Oyasumi," Kondou replied with a smile.

We walked back in silence for the most part. I was too busy taking note of Souji's damp hair and shoulders to strike up a conversation. Not that I was much of a conversationalist anyways.

"Misora-chan, your room is right here."

I hadn't noticed that I had walked right past the doors to my room. When I reached out a hand to open it, I realized that I was shaking.

"What's wrong?"

_Don't show weakness, don't show weakness_, I chanted in my head. To cover, I quickly said, "Souji...you...should dry your hair."

"Both of you are such worrywarts," he sighed. "But I'm not going anywhere. You're going to try and run away again, aren't you."

"I'm not!" I cried indignantly, turning to face him.

"I'm not taking any chances."

Was he purposefully taunting me? Grasping onto the sudden sting of annoyance, I slid open the door loudly and stepped inside with Souji following suit. He settled down at his usual spot, and I couldn't help but notice the way his wet fringe hung in his eyes. It was chilly tonight, and there was a good chance he'd catch a cold. But there wasn't anything for him to dry his hair with in this room, and I had no idea where the towels were. So I went over to him and knelt down beside him, his curious green stare on my face the entire time. I shrunk my hands back into my long kimono sleeves and used them to pat his hair. A silence that was much too long for my liking hung in the atmosphere as I ruffled his hair around.

"Alright, alright. That's enough." I felt firm hands close around my wrists gently. His voice was sweeter, docile and strangely out of character. He looked at me and caught my petulant expression before chuckling like his usual self.

"Stop laughing at me!"

"Kawaii ne, Misora-chan."

"I am _not_!"

He was taunting me for worrying about him, but I wasn't really worried in the first place. I just didn't want him to blame me when he got sick! He had not let go of my wrists yet, and I yanked them away from him, hiding them in the safety of my sleeves again.

"What's the matter?"

_Everything._

"Then why don't you try talking to Kondou-san about it?"

I didn't realize that I had spoken aloud. But it was too much, way too much, in so little time. They were my enemies, or so I had thought. I had put my life on the line in my attempt to claim revenge for my parents and now I was stuck here with them and those...rabid creatures. There was no other place for me to go to besides Shimabara, where they had probably erased my name from their books already. And I wasn't really wanted here either. I was a nuisance. With nowhere else to go.

"Don't worry, Misora-chan. Just sleep for now."

Souji's gaze rested on me and in those green eyes I saw a tiny flicker of sympathy that he had probably tried hard to hide. And I realized that I was glad that he was here beside me, at least for the moment.

I silently climbed into my futon, with nothing better to do.

"Oyasumi, Misora-chan."

"Oyasumi."

But I knew that I wouldn't be sleeping for a long time.

* * *

The blade of the katana was clean and polished, the hilt woven neatly into an intricate pattern of black and red. The ornament attached to the bronze plated hilt would have been a dead giveaway to its owner but for some reason, he couldn't recall ever seeing this sword. It was certainly a beautiful katana, elegant and deadly. Like the girl herself. He briefly wondered if he should write a haiku, but pushed the thought away quickly with ridicule. She hated him, and he could hear it in her words, in her thoughts. She had seen the Rasetsu as well, which would not make anything easier for him. But she was also ignorant of his situation. She didn't understand the risks of a dilemma and when a final decision had to be made to protect what was most important. That was it. Perhaps he would write a poem about that instead. He picked up the brush and began to write in neat, flowing strokes but stopped midway when a better idea came to him. He would write it to Toku instead; maybe she would be able to offer some of her distinguished advice.

_Haikei, Nee-san:_

_Recently, there has been an incident with the men when we last visited Shimabara, the hanamachi I mentioned before. I will not go into the details, but now we suddenly have an unwilling new member. She's quite different from the typical geiko you would see in Kyoto, and I can tell she dislikes us and what she thinks we stand for. _

His brush stopped dead in its tracks. _She dislikes us and what she thinks we stand for?_ It sounded like he really cared about what she thought of him, which was not true at all. He quickly reiterated:

_Although her opinion is not important in the issue, I do not appreciate being seen as a callous, cold-hearted person._

That didn't sound right either, because it implied that he cared about what others thought of him as well. He sighed under his breath. But Toku would understand anyways. She always did. He didn't feel like crumpling up the letter, although it did cross his mind. He folded the piece of paper and placed it beside the table. He would have it delivered as soon as he finished writing it. But in the meantime, he had to figure out what to do about the girl on his own.

"Shitsurei shimasu," a voice came from outside.

"Come in," Hijikata said, and the door slid open, revealing the kneeling figure of Saito in a show of respect.

"Oh, it's you, Saito," the vice commander acknowledged. "What brings you here so early in the morning?"

"I may be of some assistance in finding the owner of the katana," Saito replied.

"Souka?"

"Hai," was the reply. There was a short moment of silence as Saito's thoughtful blue eyes scanned the sword. His brow seemed to furrow a bit, as if in confusion. "This type of katana is not crafted in Kyoto."

"But the girl speaks with a Kyoto dialect," Hijikata pointed out. He placed a finger underneath his chin, violet eyes narrowed in thought. "Which would mean that her father had ties outside of Kyoto. He was most likely a part of the Choshuu army of rogues."

"Would that mean the girl is their ally?" Saito suggested.

"It's a possibility." Although something did not seem to connect. If the girl was indeed an ally of the Choshuu, she would not agree to join the Shinsengumi so willingly...or was that merely an act for her to root herself in the Shinsengumi's ranks?

"It might be a good idea to find out more about the katana," Saito spoke again. He dipped his head. "Please allow me to do some more research."

Hijikata hesitated. He always felt a small twinge of remorse when he thought about how hard his subordinates worked to fulfill his demands, even when they were not voiced.

"Alright. You have my permission."

"Arigatou gozaimasu."

"Gomennasai," Hijikata sighed. "It always seems like I'm leaving all of the dirty work to you."

"Not at all," Saito replied. "I'm grateful for what you and Kondou-san have done for me in the past. I will offer whatever little help I can to help the Shinsengumi." Without giving his vice commander a chance to protest, he dipped his head and respectfully exited the room.

Perhaps it was time for Hijikata to leave his room as well – he did have a meeting to call after all. He stood up and stretched briefly, but winced when a sting of pain shot up his arm. The wound from his first encounter with the girl had not fully healed yet, and it served as another reminder to the issues surrounding her. He thought back to the night at Shimabara, under the hazy flickering candlelight. _The sudden gleam of a deadly weapon, reflected in the eyes of the geiko. _Hijikata quickly picked up the brush again and jotted the phrase down before he could regret it. He had never been that great of a drinker, which was why he hadn't been fast enough to dodge that blow. But for some reason he had been able to avoid her first thrust, the blow meant to end his life. _Dancing with death, the smell of sake perfuming the air_. Hijikata nodded once to himself. It sounded just about right. Then he put down the brush and left the room in search of his commander.


End file.
